You entered a fake giveaway — what to do now
If you only gave an email address, the damage is limited: unsubscribe, mark the sender as spam, and never confirm anything by phone. If money, card details or an ID copy are involved, contact your bank immediately and document everything.
First 24 hours
Stop or reverse any payment through your bank. Change the password of any account whose credentials you typed into the site. Do not answer calls that reference the "win" and never read out a code sent by SMS.
Document it
Screenshot the page, the emails with full headers, and any payment receipt. This is what a bank, a consumer advice centre or the police will ask for.
Where to report it
In Germany, the consumer advice centres (Verbraucherzentrale) take reports on dubious promotions, unwanted advertising calls can be reported to the Bundesnetzagentur, and fraud with a financial loss belongs to the police. A data protection complaint goes to the supervisory authority of the operator's state.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I get my money back?
- Often yes for card payments and direct debits if you act quickly — ask your bank about a chargeback or reversal.
- They have my email — what now?
- Expect spam, do not click anything in it, and use your provider's blocking rules. A single email address alone cannot be used to charge you.
- How do I recognise the next one earlier?
- Run the seven checks in our guide on spotting a legit giveaway before entering anything.